School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Nearly three times as long as Miller's Buffalo Gals: Women of the Old West (Lerner, 1995), this richly expanded edition also has six main sections. Each one focuses on a different aspect of Western life from the 1840s to the 1890s-the journey west, home life, women's work (including a brief section on "fallen women"), entertainment, politics and social issues, and the Native American perspective. This edition includes two to three individual narrative accounts per section. The details are fascinating and the perspective is well-rounded, from famous figures such as Margaret Reed of the Donner party expedition and Carry Nation, the anti-alcohol crusader, to lesser-known figures and minorities such as African American pioneer Clara Brown and Indian activist Sarah Winnemucca. Well-chosen photographs and primary-source quotes are plentiful and riveting. "Had I not the constitution of six horses, I should have been dead long ago," says one California woman. Those interested in Western and women's history will enjoy these detailed accounts of exploration, entrepreneurship, hardship, heartache, sacrifice, and survival.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Miller (Thomas Jefferson for Kids) offers a comprehensive look at the lives of pioneer women, both in general and specifically, who bravely ventured to the American west in the mid-19th century. Seven detailed chapters delve into such topics as harrowing trail journeys ("[W]omen hardened to shocking sights-seeing the dead lowered into graves without coffins or funerals, watching haunted people tramping home after giving up the struggle.... Young ones wandered off or fell and were crushed beneath wagon wheels"), the hardships of homesteading life, frontier entertainment, and female political activism. Fascinating, mini-biographies of 16 women round out each chapter, incorporating excerpts from letters and journals. Readers meet former slave Clara Brown, who amassed an entrepreneurial fortune in Colorado but lost it helping others, as well as Donner Party survivor Margret Reed, whose story is harrowing, as are those of two women held captive by the Comanche. Missionary and army wives, widows and entertainers-all impress and inspire as they survive, sometimes thrive, and carve out new lives for themselves. B&w archival illustrations and photographs punctuate the text. Ages 12-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A collection of fascinating tales of women's trials and triumphs during the years of settlement in the West. Miller has divided the book into broad topics that gather stories of women's roles in settlement of the American West. "Many a Weary Mile" describes the trip west by wagon; "Oh Give Me a Home" explores early pioneering experiences. "A Woman Can Work," "And Now the Fun Begins" and "Great Expectations for the Future" all examine the careers of women who stepped out of typical female roles of the era. "A Clash of Cultures" tells of the experiences of two young white females captured by Native Americans and two Native American women's experiences dealing with white culture. The stories strike a nice balance, profiling many different types of experiences. Each chapter begins with a broad overview of the topic and then narrows down with compelling tales of individuals. Inclusion of first-person narrative through the use of letters and diaries brings the women to life in their own voices, augmented by revealing black-and-white period photographs with very brief captions. Part of this enlightening effort is a reworking of the 1995 Buffalo Gals of the Old West, which was aimed at a somewhat younger audience. While presented as an offering for teens, this work would be equally appropriate for adults. A thoughtful and attractive presentation of a complex and intriguing topic. (extensive bibliography and endnotes) (Nonfiction. 12 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Oh, Oregon, you must be wonderful country, mused Amelia Knight, ironically, in 1853, after another punishing day of wagon travel, including journeys through mud and water up to the wheel hubs. A few decades later, Kansas settler Mary Pease found her voice in populist politics of the day: Wall Street owns the country, she decried, rallying farmers with a hauntingly contemporary refrain. Miller's profile of 16 western women, many not especially well known, is a major expansion and revision of her earlier title, Buffalo Gals: Women of the Old West (1995), a more general treatment of pioneering and native women. Strengthened by mostly new illustrations, the strong, engaging narrative does anything but soften the grueling experiences of the women who fought for well-being against monumental challenges. Rachel Plummer's capture by Comanches in 1836 is described with graphic brutality; interestingly, her young relative Cynthia, once adjusted to Comanche life, bitterly fought recapture by her family. Unsettling and gripping, this is a strong curriculum offering with many snippets of primary sources that students and teachers will find useful.--O'Malley, Anne Copyright 2010 Booklist
